The Best Generative AI Outreach Platform for Commercial Services Sales

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is exploding right now, with hundreds of thousands of tools in development. They’re calling it the Fourth Industrial Revolution because, over the next decade, AI will literally shift every aspect of our lives.

However, deploying these tools can present huge challenges. One car dealership allegedly had to sell a brand new Chevy Tahoe to a hacker who managed to figure out how to use the dealership’s conversational AI tools to create an irrevocable contract to sell him the vehicle for just $1. Illustrating the point that many AI tools aren’t quite “market-ready.”

But what about the ones that are?

There are dozens of tools on the market today that are exponentially increasing performance while also creating more efficient processes for the professionals who use them. These days, AI solutions are making hiring a breeze, letting you create ad campaigns with just a click, automating follow-ups, gathering leads effortlessly, and personalizing sales outreach like never before.

Today, let’s talk about how to choose the right generative AI tools for your commercial services or trade-based business. We’ll discuss the top tools for identifying prospects, turning them into qualified leads, and closing more deals with the help of an AI-powered platform.

What is Generative AI?

The topic of AI can be very confusing. So, before we get into which tools best help you streamline prospecting, outreach, and sales, let’s briefly talk about the different forms of AI.

There are three main types of AI:

1. General AI: This is what people commonly imagine when thinking about AI—machines that can learn and perform tasks independently. However, this form is still in development- and will take some time to reach mainstream usage.

2. Applied AI: Widely used today, applied AI powers tools like virtual assistants, chatbots, and self-driving cars. It helps perform specific tasks efficiently. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude are all applied AI tools. Applied AI can be built into “AI Agents” that perform specific tasks on behalf of a user, but they have limitations. Applied AI also includes various AI sales tools designed to enhance sales processes.

3. Generative AI: Generative AI goes beyond just performing tasks—it takes input, data, or a prompt and creates new content from it. Generative AI uses machine learning to identify the ideal end results and the attempt to deliver those results.

Generative AI can turn “buying signals” and account (or) contact data into personalized sales emails or develop marketing campaigns by leveraging patterns identified in existing data. This is incredibly helpful because it can generate human-like outputs. Generative AI is particularly valuable because it doesn’t just assist—it invents, transforming how sales teams engage with prospects and helping businesses craft personalized, relevant content at scale.

Why Use Generative AI for Sales?

There are several reasons why generative AI is becoming increasingly popular in the sales industry:

• Greater efficiency: With generative AI, tasks that would normally take hours can now be completed in minutes. This allows sales teams to focus on more high-value activities, such as building relationships with prospects and closing deals.
• Personalization at scale: Generative AI can create personalized content for each individual prospect, using data and patterns to determine the most effective messaging. This results in higher engagement rates and, ultimately, more sales.
• Improved lead generation: Generative AI tools can analyze vast amounts of data to identify potential leads and prioritize them based on their likelihood to convert. This not only saves time but also ensures that sales teams are targeting the most promising prospects.

The sales process for commercial services, contractors, and trades can be complex, requiring tailored quotes, proof of work, credibility, and building trust. Generative AI helps sales professionals account for this complexity.

Tools like Convex’s Generative AI were designed specifically for commercial services, allowing contractors to create personalized messaging that resonates with property owners and managers, improving your chances of closing deals.

How Can Generative AI Help with Sales?

According to Salesforce, the average salesperson spends 21% of their time prospecting, generating leads, and creating outreach messaging. That is the equivalent of 2 hours per day, 4- 5 days per week. For Comfort Systems USA, it used to mean dedicating two full days each week just to fill their pipeline.

That all changed four years ago when they found Convex’s property intelligence and Generative AI prospecting and outreach tools. Over the past four years, they’ve doubled their growth by using tools like Atlas, which streamlined their lead generation and outreach efforts to the point that their sales team only spends 2- 3 hours per week prospecting today.

Analyzing sales calls can provide valuable insights for improving sales strategies. These tools can transcribe and provide actionable feedback from sales calls, helping sales professionals enhance their skills and close deals more effectively.

They’ve also been able to cut team onboarding time down by almost 60%. Four years ago, getting a new salesperson up-to-speed took 6- 9 months. Today, they spend 2- 3 months getting a rep onboarded, and in less than a quarter, sales people can be generating revenue and profitable for the business. By automating most of the prospecting process, Comfort Systems USA has freed up time to focus on accelerating sales operations, building stronger client relationships, and closing more deals.

Read more about their success here.

How does AI Sales Prospecting Work?

In today’s world, data is the most powerful tool for sales. “Intent data” tells us what people are looking to purchase and when they’d like to make that purchase. “Sales intelligence data” delivers results on accounts and the contact information for decision-makers at that account. “Property Intelligence data” shows us when a building was built, its square footage, permit history, and occupants.

Convex tracks all of these data points and more to help your sales team prospect and create personalized outreach in minutes. As a powerful sales intelligence platform, Convex leverages AI to enhance the efficiency of sales teams by providing insights into customer interactions, enriching CRM data, and enabling effective prospecting: no more manual data entry, siloed tools, and low-quality leads. Instead, Convex automates the heavy lifting so that your team can focus on what they do best: building relationships with prospects and closing deals.

Convex works like this:

1. Log into Convex, check “Signals” for buyer intent data, and identify high-value prospects.

2. Search for properties, accounts, and contacts using Convex’s property intelligence.

3. Use Generative AI to send personalized emails or phone scripts based on buyer signals, property intelligence, and firmographic data on the account and your business.

4. Set reminders, manage leads, and track progress in Convex or integrate with your CRM for automated follow-ups and seamless pipeline management.

That’s why our tools only take 3- 5 minutes per account.

Top Generative AI Tools for Commercial Services Sales

The reality is there are dozens of AI tools for sales software. How do you choose the right ones for your team?

1. Convex: The Convex platform is designed specifically for commercial services, contractors, and trades. It provides access to the largest database of building and property information in North America, allowing users to target prospects with highly personalized messaging.

2. Apollo AI: This tool uses AI and predictive analytics to identify potential leads and create personalized messaging. It also integrates with popular CRMs like Salesforce.

3. Salesforce Einstein: Einstein is an AI-powered sales platform that analyzes customer data to provide insights and recommendations for improving the sales process. It can also automate certain tasks,

4. ChatGPT: As mentioned earlier, ChatGPT is an applied AI tool that uses natural language processing to engage in human-like conversations with potential leads. It can be integrated into chatbots or virtual assistants for efficient communication with clients.

5. Clay: An AI tool that can help with sales prospecting and data enrichment. It can import or build lead lists and automate personalized messaging.

6. Mixmax: A sales engagement platform that includes a generative AI feature called AI Compose. AI Compose can help salespeople compose personalized sales emails and improve existing ones.

7. Lavender: An AI tool that can help sales representatives write better and faster emails. It can provide suggestions for improving email content and information about prospects.

Choosing the Right Generative AI Tool for Your Sales Team

When it comes to choosing the right generative AI tool for your sales team, there are a few things to consider:

1. Target Audience: Ensure the tool aligns with your industry. For example, Convex specializes in commercial services, providing tailored features for service providers, contractors, and trades-based industries, but it’s also focused on targeting commercial properties – which makes it a perfect fit for anyone in HVAC, elevators, solar, roofing, commercial cleaning and janitorial, generators, grounds, landscaping, and more.

2. Ease of Use: Look for an intuitive tool requiring minimal training and offering seamless integration with your existing systems.

3. Budget and Scalability: Choose a solution that fits your budget and scales as your business grows.

4. Data Integration: The tool should gather real-time insights by pulling data from multiple sources, such as social media, databases, and websites.

5. Automation & Personalization: Automate tasks like data entry, lead qualification, and email outreach while creating personalized content for your prospects.

6. Custom Workflows & Flexibility: Customize workflows and allow your team to refine AI-generated content for optimal outreach.

7. Enhanced Sales Pipeline: The tool should improve lead prioritization and automate follow-ups to streamline your pipeline.

These tools can optimize each stage of the sales cycle, enhancing decision-making and productivity throughout the sales processes.

Key Features to Consider for Sales Outreach and Sales Engagement

When choosing AI sales engagement tools, focus on these critical features of sales prospecting tools:

1. Depth of Data Sources: Your AI tool should integrate data from multiple sources, such as social media, company websites, and third-party databases, to deliver real-time insights.

2. Personalized Emails and Icebreakers: Look for AI tools that generate personalized prospecting hooks, emails, and value propositions based on prospect data.

3. Custom AI Workflows: Choose tools that allow you to customize workflows for lead scoring and sales engagement, helping you maintain control over your sales pipeline.

4. Human Flexibility: Ensure that your team can review and edit AI-generated content to ensure messaging aligns with your brand’s voice and goals.

With the growing number of generative sales tools, this list will inevitably change. Evaluating key features in the context of the benefits they provide your team will help you stay ahead of the curve. Remember, the right AI tool should enable your team to spend time building relationships and closing deals rather than managing data and manual tasks. So, choose wisely!

Best Practices for Using AI in Sales

To maximize the benefits of AI, follow these best practices:

1. Centralize Your Sales Stack:

One or two tools are all reps really need. Instead of using scattered tools, integrate them into one platform like Convex’s Atlas, which offers streamlined workflows and better visibility across your sales efforts for not only reps but also for sales managers.

2. Add the “Human Touch”:

Always, always, always personalize! AI can handle much of the automation, but sales reps should still review and personalize messaging to maintain authenticity and connection with prospects. Make sure you’re doing more than just spamming your marketplace—you should be sending sales messages that drive value and create connections; otherwise, you’ll burn out your leads.

3. Train Your Team:

Proper training ensures your sales team maximizes AI’s capabilities and avoids errors that could damage client relationships.

4. Be Selective with AI Tools:

Not every AI tool will fit your unique sales process. Carefully evaluate options to ensure they align with your team’s goals and workflows. Select solutions that cater to your business needs for long-term success. Choosing the right sales prospecting software is crucial as it enhances the efficiency of the prospecting process and saves time and resources.

5. Evaluate and Adjust:

The AI “landscape” (if you want to call it that) is constantly evolving, so regularly evaluate your tools’ effectiveness and make adjustments as needed. This will ensure you’re always adapting to remain competitive and innovative which makes you stand-out to your prospects.

Conclusion: Harnessing AI for Sales Success

AI is revolutionizing sales. As you integrate generative tools into your sales strategy, focus on leveraging these technologies in a way that builds genuine human connections and provides value to your prospects, leads, and customers.

Now is the time to act—evaluate your current processes, identify where AI can enhance your operations, and begin incorporating AI tools that align with your company’s goals and values. Additionally, evaluate and choose the right sales prospecting tool for your needs to speed up the prospecting process and improve outreach efficiency.

These tools move fast. The longer you wait, the further behind you’ll be, so don’t hesitate.

Ready to see how Generative AI tools can revolutionize your team? Schedule a demo of Convex today!